Monday, March 26, 2018

Wool carpets remain a favorite for their
warmth, luxurious feel and durability. A good quality wool carpet is typically
more expensive than other fibers. However, if maintained properly, the wool
carpet, due to its durability, can save you money over its lifetime. However,
if not maintained properly or if staining concerns is a part of your life, wool
may not be the best choice.

For homeowner’s who either vacuum their
carpets regularly or have them vacuumed regularly, wool will last longer than
other fibers and would be a good investment. The reason that vacuuming is so
important is that through normal home living, grit gets into the carpet fibers.
If this grit is not removed by regular vacuuming, it will act like sand paper
on the carpet fibers, damage them and create premature wear patterns.
Therefore, if regular vacuuming of your carpets may be difficult to achieve, it
might be prudent to invest in a less expensive type of carpet.

If spills and staining are not a big
concern, wool once again is an excellent choice. Wool has natural oils inherent
in it which have a tendency to repel liquids. Therefore, if you can get to spills
quickly, the wool provides good stain resistant qualities. However, if a spill
is left unattended,
it seeps past the natural oils in the wool, absorbs into the fibers and has a
high probability of becoming a permanent stain. Therefore, if your main concern
is staining (from kids, pets, etc.), then synthetic carpets would most likely
serve you best. They come in all "levels" of stain-resistance, from
very basic synthetic fibers, to those treated with Teflon and other solutions.

The bottom line is that if you have good maintenance of your
carpets and have the ability to address spills quickly, then wool, over its
life, is your most cost effective choice. However, it either of the above
concerns is an issue, then your money might be better spent on a synthetic
carpet.